Critz's answer to attack ad ignores facts

This entire Critz meltdown because of the Altmire television ad is interesting.

In the ad, Altmire says that Critz voted present on the Tea Party budget. This is accurate. Critz voted present. Altmire voted no. Fast forward to last week's vote on the same piece of legislation,
Altmire and Critz vote no.

First off, Critz appears to being playing politics with his vote. Voted present in 2011, voted no in 2012.

In Critz's press conference to defend his present vote, he stated: it was “A decision by our leaders.” That’s nice, but what about the people that elected you? His loyalty should be with the people of the 12th Congressional District, not with his leaders. I have never bought into the concept that our legislators should only vote the way leadership tells them to vote. I have always believed that our representative should vote the way their districts wants them too.

Additionally, Critz ran to Steny Hoyer for his defense. (who ran against and defeated his old boss and predecessor, Jack Murtha) Hoyer defends the present vote. Why? Hoyer says: “House Democrats stood together and voted ‘present’ on the extreme Republican budget in order to expose its radical policies. Doing this showed the American people just how extreme House Republicans are and how devastating their policies would be for our nation, like ending the Medicare guarantee. This was a vote to protect Medicare and derail the Republican Budget,” said democratic Whip Steny Hoyer who organized the efforts on behalf of House Democrats.”

If the goal was it would pass, cuts would happen, and then the American people would blame the Republicans? Really? Is that how it’s supposed to work? I don't understand how a present vote would help the Democrats prove this about the Republican budget. They should of stood together and voted NAY.

I’m not sure why political reporters and bloggers have taken the side of Critz and are taking his statements at face value. Quite simply, he made a bad vote. Just like he made a bad vote to defund Planned Parenthood, not to repeal don't ask don't tell, and against the wall street reform bill.

That is why Critz is running on healthcare, because he can't defend some of his bad votes and hopes that people forget this ad that he ran in 2010:

Congressman Mark Critz isn't as liberal as you think

I've been contacted by a lot of progressive people asking me how I can continue to support Congressman Jason Altmire over Congressman Mark Critz in the Primary. Many people point to the health care vote as why Altmire shouldn't have the backing of Democrats. My argument is that Mark Critz was also against the health care vote, he just wasn't elected to Congress yet to cast a recorded vote.

So if you issue with Altmire is his health care vote, you might want to check the health care facts straight from Congressman Critz's mouth:




So I have been trying to find some other contrasts between Altmire and Critz and I came across some information from Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood has listed Congressman Critz as a 'chump.'

Planned Parenthood has been the focus of recent funding cuts, and I found it interesting to see that Congressman Mark Critz voted to defund Planned Parenthood. I personally can handle that some Democrats are Pro-Life even if I'm not. I can't handle the pandering to the right by saying that all the good things that Planned Parenthood does is erased by performing abortions.

Also in my research, I found out that the Congressman Critz voted against the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. This is a policy that I don't understand why the 'get the government out of my life Republicans' are in favor of. Even worse, Mark Critz told his constituents that he would be in favor of lifting the ban when he was running for election, but then turned around and voted against it.

So if you are a Democrat who is upset with Congressman Altmire's health care vote, what does Congressman Mark Critz bring to the table that makes him 'more of a Democrat' than Congressman Jason Altmire?